Epsom & Ewell 1 Egham Town 4

COMBINED COUNTIED LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 2011
EPSOM & EWELL 1 (0) EGHAM TOWN 4 (1)
Egham Town scorers: Tom Hedges 2 (19, 62), Matt Grave (58), Enrico Rossoni (90)

Egham recovered from three straight defeats to rediscover the winning form that has taken them to third place in the CCL Premier Division. Losses to Cowes Sports in the Vase and Ashford Town last Tuesday in the County Cup sandwiched a defeat to a South Park side who since that 2-1 success have beaten both Kingstonian in the County Cup and Diss Town in the Vase by the same scoreline.
The decision by Marcus Moody to try his luck at Spencer Day's Farnborough (can he step up three levels?) left the side missing an influential player who, perhaps, scored his last goal for the club last week at South Park.
John Hamsher must have been looking into his contact book and it seems that knowing Jason Euell, the former Wimbledon player, has reaped rewards. Euell, in turn, apparently helped Egham secure the signature of St. Albans City's Marvin Alebiosu, who started in central midfield with youngster Tom Brunton, in his own first start for the Egham Town First XI, alongside him. Also signed this week was Stevenita Elpenyong, from Walton Casuals, who came on late on to demonstrate a firmness in the tackle allied with an eye for a crossfield pass.
This may not come across well but Egham could not have hand picked a better fixture after those three successive reverses. The Sarnies have a remarkable record in away games with Epsom & Ewell since both became CCL members in season 2006-7, coming away from Merland Rise, Banstead, unbeaten and last season, at Moatside, Merstham facing a defeat until a last minute leveller snatched a 2-2 draw. They still had to cope without Jamie Houghton in midfield (wedding) and centre back Ken During (working). Aarron Taylor-Ives took over skipper duties. For the opening ten minutes or so the Es were the better side against visitors who, understandably, were not instantly gelling as a team. In fact they had decent calls for a penalty after 18 minutes, but as the forwards screamed for a spot kick Egham broke away through Tom Hedges who ripped down the right wing, skinned left back Anthony Myers, sidestepped keeper Dan Coles and rolled the ball home. Hedges almost created a second just past the half hour, leaving Myers behind again before Alebiosa clipped the right post with an angled shot from Hedges' pass. Alex McGregor forced a superb finger tip save from former Epsom player Paul Borg two minutes from half time.
By the time Egham's other former Epsom man, Dale Marvell, had tested Coles with a free kick the match had threatened to become rather mundane. Then, to liven things up, with 57 minutes on the clock, Brunton gave way to fellow youth team man Brendan Matthew, thus increasing Egham's attacking potential. Within seconds Egham were 2-0 up. Alebiosa played the ball forward to onrushing left back Jake Galbraith who improvised superbly in dinking the ball forward into the path of Matt Grave who, in turn, lifted the ball up into the inside left side of Coles' net. As the hour ticked by Marvell whipped in a free kick that Taylor-Ives met with a thumping header that Coles did very well to keep out. Egham's third, though, was not long in coming as they kept up the pressure and from a far from promising position it was Hedges again on target, cutting in from the right before rifling in a low cross shot for 3-0. Some Epsom players seemed intent on making life particularly painful for Taylor-Ives, Paul West being booked for fouling him and Sam Robinson also picking up a yellow for dumping him on the ground seconds after he had recovered from a previous foul. The home side regained some attacking momentum, Ali Dewar breaking free but Borg did well to race out and gather. Marvell and Grave were taken off to give Enrico Rossoni and Elpenyong a run out. Matthew saw a cross shot beat the far post and Hedges squared the ball to Rossoni when a shot might have gained him his first Egham hat-trick and then, out of the blue, the Blues got a goal back when Luke Muldowney was punished for an unfortunate handball. Robinson scored from the spot. 3-1 would have been a good win, but 4-1 was better and in the final minute Rossoni crashed home a first time shot from Matthew's fine pass.
Egham's next game is on Saturday, at home to Colliers Wood United, with whom they drew 2-2 at The Wibbandune earlier in the season with Egham scoring through Moody and Taylor-Ives. Egham stay in third place.
EGHAM TOWN: Paul Borg, Dan Hartlebury, Jake Galbraith, Lee Pasmore, Aarron Taylor-Ives (captain), Luke Muldowney, Tom Brunton, Marvin Alebiosa, Dale Marvell, Matt Grave, Tom Hedges. Subs: Max Galbraith, Enrico Rossoni (Grave, 72), Louis Chandler-Joseph, Stevenita Elpenyong (Marvell, 72), Matthew (Brunton, 57).

EGHAM TOWN YOUTH are establishing, it seems, a similarly good record against Epsom & Ewell in their first ever season in the Surrey Youth League. Egham won 3-0 at home in the Surrey Midweek Floodlit Cup in October. They sit, as they have done for most of the season, in top place with Epsom & Ewell second, having crushed Epsom in their second meeting, this time in the league, 5-1, at Moatside. Egham have a game in hand and a five goal advantage. This Monday Egham hope to make it three out of three with another trip to Moatside for a League Cup Quarter Final tie. Egham have reached that QF after a 12-1 drubbing of Sandhurst Town and a superb 2-0 win at Godalming Town.